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father and mother want you to be independent -- now it is time! -- but in twenty-five years without being aware of it they have taught only one thing: be dependent.
Now you are thrown into the world. Your whole psychology demands somebody to be your savior -- a Jesus. You are ready to become sheep, some shepherd is needed -- somebody to console you, "Don't be worried. Just believe in me and I will save you. I will take care of you."
Some God is needed who is omnipotent; he has to be, otherwise how will he take care of so many billions of people? He has to be all-knowing, present everywhere -- omnipotent, all-powerful; omniscient, all-knowing; omnipresent, everywhere available. This is our desire. And the priest certainly exploits humanity because of this dependence. The priest consoles.
Karl Marx was right when he said that religion is the opium of the people. The organized so-called religions are certainly the opium of the people.
I will not call religiousness the opium of the people. That is a totally different phenomenon. No God, no fathers, no priest, no rabbi -- you are standing on your own feet. Your trust is in existence itself -- no mediator.
Maneesha, my whole effort is that you should not be dependent on me, whether you are enlightened or not. If you are not enlightened, it is needed even more -- no dependence -- because a dependent person is spiritually a slave, and a slave has no right to become enlightened.
You have to declare your independence, your freedom, even while you are not enlightened, because this freedom, this independence will pave the path towards enlightenment.
Of course, after enlightenment there is no need to be dependent. Because there is no need to be dependent, you can be grateful, you can have compassion, and you can understand the compassion of the master. It is difficult in your darkness, in your unconsciousness, to understand compassion and love.
But that should not be your concern at this moment. At this moment, your sole concern is meditation. Go deeper into meditation and you will find compassion, and you will find understanding of compassion. You will find freedom, and
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